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The Region’s Most Preferred Orthopaedic Practice – EmergeOrtho: Foothills Region

Our fellowship-trained back doctors, Dr. Alfred Geissele, Dr. Ralph Maxy, and Dr. Jason Zook, are dedicated spine specialists board-certified in orthopaedic surgery and committed to providing patients with the compassionate, world-class care they deserve and need to emerge stronger.

Our spine doctors are experts at diagnosing and treating injuries and conditions of the back, neck, and spine and are not only highly skilled in providing nonsurgical pain management care to treat back pain but also in performing spine surgery, including minimally invasive surgery.

How Our Back Doctors Help Patients Emerge Stronger

When our spine doctors develop an individualized treatment plan for a patient with a back injury or condition, their first step is to always look at nonsurgical spine care options that will help instead of recommending surgery. Sometimes, the problem can be solved without the need for surgery with treatments such as physical therapy or injections, like a lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injection.

However, if nonoperative treatments fail to provide relief for the patient or their back pain becomes debilitating, our spine surgeons will recommend a surgical treatment plan that is right for the patient's spine injury or condition. Our surgeons have undergone extensive training and specialize in a variety of spine procedures that can be used to treat back pain or injuries, including the following treatment options:

• Anterior cervical disc fusion
• Cervical and lumbar disc replacement
• Degenerative spine surgery
• Discectomy
• Laminectomy
• Minimally invasive surgery
• Spinal cord stimulator placement
• Spinal fusion

Our surgeons understand that patients sometimes have concerns about undergoing surgical procedures, which is why they are dedicated to spending time to educate and provide patients with an understanding of the surgery as well as how it will be beneficial. They also make sure they answer any questions the patient might have.

Do You Need World-Class Back Care?

If you are noticing any of these back-related symptoms, you should consider consulting with a back doctor or spine surgeon:

• Back pain
• Burning sensation in the lower back
• Chronic lower back pain (lumbar pain)
• Leg pain
• Neck pain
• Nerve pain
• Numbness and/or tingling
• Pain in the buttocks that shoots down into the legs
• Pain when sitting
• Shooting or stabbing pain
• Spinal pain

Patients with back pain or any of the above symptoms often seek help from a doctor specializing in the spine who may diagnose them with one of the following injuries or conditions:

• Degenerative disc disease
• Herniated disc
• Pinched nerve (cervical radiculopathy)
• Sciatica (back pain caused by the sciatic nerve)
• Spinal deformity, such as scoliosis
• Spinal fracture
• Spinal osteoporosis
• Spinal stenosis
• Spondylolisthesis
• Sports-related injury

If you have back pain or have suffered a back injury, our back doctors are ready to provide you with the world-class spine care you need. Schedule an appointment with one of our doctors specializing in the spine by calling (828) 324-2800 or requesting an appointment online.

We have eight offices located throughout North Carolina—our offices include Granite Falls, Hickory, Lenoir, Marion (AccessOrtho Only), Morganton, Newton, Taylorsville, and Valdese.

Emerge Stronger, Healthier, and Better at EmergeOrtho: Foothills Region

At EmergeOrtho: Foothills Region, our patients are always our top priority. Our entire team, from our pain management and physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor and spine surgeons to our physical therapists and additional providers, is focused on providing you with the compassionate, world-class orthopaedic care you need to emerge stronger and get back to doing the things you love.

Our spine team will be by your side through every step of your journey to pain relief, from diagnosis and nonoperative treatment or surgery to recovery and rehabilitation. Whether you have back pain or a herniated disc, our doctors will be right beside you.

Visit Our Spine Center

Our Spine Center is designed to provide our patients with comprehensive spine education as well as world-class spinal care from our spine doctors, helping patients get back to enjoying life faster.

From answering frequently asked questions to allowing our surgeons to provide the latest and most advanced treatment options available, our Spine Center brings together and combines all of our spine team’s experience, knowledge, and expertise to provide one dedicated center devoted to meeting all of our spine patients’ needs.